Trump signs Iran framework as poll shows approval falling

President Trump signed a preliminary agreement with Iran aimed at ending the war and restoring oil movement through the Strait of Hormuz, NPR reported. The diplomatic step comes as a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows his approval ratings falling to the weakest levels of his presidency, driven in part by public concern over the economy.

According to NPR, Trump signed the framework yesterday during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at Versailles. Earlier in the day, the administration described the agreement while Trump took questions from reporters at the close of his visit to the G7 summit in France.

The framework says Iran would commit to not developing a nuclear weapon, NPR reported. In return, the United States says it is prepared to lift sanctions that have been in place for decades, a move that could allow Iran to revive parts of its damaged economy.

NPR’s Greg Myre said Iran could benefit quickly if the deal allows it to sell oil freely on the world market. He also said a final agreement remains uncertain, but that such a deal would mark a major change from the long-running U.S. and allied strategy of using sanctions to pressure Tehran.

The agreement follows more than three months of war that NPR described as initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. NPR reported that the conflict has carried costs beyond the region, including effects on oil, military operations and trade.

Myre said Trump’s public language around the agreement stood out. According to NPR, Trump said he did not want to be remembered like Herbert Hoover, who was president during the onset of the Great Depression, and warned that world oil supplies could be exhausted within four weeks.

NPR reported that Trump had earlier demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” in the early phase of the war. Myre said that even as Trump framed the deal as a way to prevent an economic crisis, the president continued to use combative language, including saying he retained the right to restart the war.

Poll shows economic weakness for Trump

The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that one-third of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. NPR reported that figure is three points below former President Joe Biden’s lowest economic approval rating while in office.

The same poll found 36% of respondents approve of Trump’s overall job performance, while 59% disapprove. NPR said that is the largest approval-disapproval gap Trump has faced across either of his terms.

NPR’s Stephen Fowler said several issues are hurting Republicans this year, including high gas prices, inflation, tariffs and the war with Iran. NPR noted that the survey was conducted before the latest memorandum of understanding involving Iran, which could alter the course of the conflict.

Fowler said economic pessimism that began during the Biden administration remains strong, especially among independents. According to NPR, strategists in both parties warn that frustration over prices could affect key races, with some former Trump voters reconsidering Democrats and some of Trump’s loyal supporters possibly staying home on Election Day.

Intelligence nomination delayed

In a separate development, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton said the Senate delayed Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence after Trump urged Republicans to hold off, NPR reported.

According to NPR, Trump also said he was blocking renewal of FISA Section 702, a major surveillance authority used in U.S. intelligence operations, while trying to link it to the GOP voting bill known as the SAVE America Act. NPR reported that Bill Pulte will temporarily oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies while Clayton’s hearing remains postponed.

This story draws on original reporting from NPR.